Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Interview with Bestfan

Care Failure recently spoke with Bestfan about her Juno nominations, who influences her and the music she constantly plays on her iPod. Check out our exclusive interview, below.

(BESTFAN): Congratulations on your 2 Juno nominations! How does it feel to know you are getting recognition for your hard work?

(CARE): Its kind of silly. The whole ceremony and the “what are you wearing” and all that kind of stuff (laughs). [To me] its not that interesting but it’s nice and looks really cool on paper and apparently parents give a f*** about it, that’s what I’ve noticed. Like you said, it’s cool to get the recognized for our hard work.

(BESTFAN): Is there anything you’re looking forward to while attending this year’s awards show?

(CARE): (Laughs) Yea, I mean it’s nice to go out and have a good time. No real band stuff, no loading in. It’s all just a bit of a break; maybe get a free drink or something. I’m singing a song with The Beauties the night before the awards. There will be a whole bunch of musicians singing different songs to celebrate the Junos 40th anniversary. I get to do a Neil Young song which is really rad. Singing that is probably the best part about it.

(BESTFAN): Tell us some of the biggest differences in when you are on stage with your band versus a night of Deejaying.

(CARE): I get really bored of my own music really quickly and it’s nice to play someone else’s for a change. In a way it’s a little bit about pleasing the crowd but your also trying to educate too and play new stuff. But it’s not like I’m f***ing spinning records, I don’t have any talent or anything. This is the computer age unfortunately and for bar deejaying nobody cares if you have a deck or not, so it’s kind of sh*tty and really cheap. Overall, they are equally fun. I love being in the studio and I love to be on stage but it’s a whole different vibe when I’m deejaying.

(BESTFAN): Who were your biggest influences (musically or not) while growing into the rocker you are today.

(CARE): Growing up I got into Sonic Youth really badly. I remember when I was like 11, I was really hot for them and they came through Toronto that year to do a show and I couldn’t go because I was too young but I was really into them. I really loved Beck, I got into him when I was like 8 and yea I was obsessed with him for a while. Anyone who is a little bit strange.

(BESTFAN): What is the craziest thing a fan has done to get your attention?

(CARE): Well there are always cute “Marry Me” signs and things like that. I got some really cool art a couple weeks ago a fan brought to some deejay night I was doing and they are these really cool portraits on canvas. The funniest thing I got was this little Kurt Kobain doll, it’s from his MTV unplugged so he’s sitting on this little chair and there’s a detailed little sweater. That was probably the funniest thing I’ve got from a fan.

(BESTFAN): Tell us about your label “How to Kill”. Are you guys working with any artists through that label?

(CARE): Unfortunately, I had a horrible manager and I had to escape him. Now that I’m not dealing with him any more I’m fighting to the get the rights for my label back. The label hasn’t been doing anything for the last little while and won’t be for the next couple months. It was something I was suppose to own and right from the beginning his party didn’t do the job they had to do, and I’m not bad talking anyone I’m just being honest. The thing that really sucks is that I’ve been wanting to explain to people what’s going on with the band and the different things that are happening with us but I’m walking a really thin line between being completely honest and saying what’s going on for real, with our camp and our team. There have been lots of changes in the last four months, and I know I sound like a bitter ex-girlfriend so I need to try and find a balance. We do already have people working for us that are a “kagillion” times better and actually ask me what I want and what I want to do. It’s great because I’ve never had anyone ask me that before. We’re having a press conference sometime next week, we have some good news and we have some really s**tty news too.

(BESTFAN): When can fans look forward to hearing new music from Die Mannequin?

(CARE): I’ve been in the studio for the last couple months off and on, only off because we have to fit it in between shows. We’ll be playing some new songs at our show at the horseshoe (CMW 2011) but to actually buy and listen to new stuff, well, I’d like to have everything done in the spring. I’d like to do something where I would release three songs together in groups, every month or couple weeks, but new music really ‘effin soon. There will be a lot of new stuff coming out in the next month or two.

(BESTFAN): Describe your songwriting process in the studio. Is it a collaborative effort of does everyone in the band have certain way of approaching the creative process?

(CARE): For all the stuff that’s come out so far it’s always just been me and a bedroom. Just going crazy and writing songs like a maniac. A lot of my old songs were written when I was 16-17 now I’m older, I’m a grandma I have other things now that make me wet musically.

I love working with people too but the collaborative writing process is a whole other thing. Usually I end up writing the whole song, it’s kind of a scam because you have to give away 50% to someone in the room that didn’t write anything. It’s been weird. I was also never really given any time to write with other people. I mean, they sent me around the writer’s circle. Went around all through the States, and through Canada too. All the singles that we’ve released I’ve written myself. It’s important that I have my own time where I write by myself, there is a lot of pre production as well. I’ll even go in the studio and force myself to finish songs other wise I wouldn’t be able to. Then there’s Tony, he is my bass player and a writer too and we’ve been together for 7 and a bit years and he writes songs but we’ve only ever written a couple songs together. I try to make time for people that I like, a couple friends of mine and some are random. Now that I don’t have that big bad wolf and the label breathing down my neck, I’m able to do things that I want to do instead of writing with the usual writers.

(BESTFAN): Would you rather pack a small venue or fill a stadium to half capacity?

(CARE): Pack a small venue! It takes a lot to run around in a stadium. I mean, I don’t mind it but a small venue is more intimate and more fun. There is definitely something to be said about playing arenas but I like small venues.

The band will playing a live show with The Birthday Massacre at Toronto’s hot spot, The Opera House on March 25th for the JunoFest and they’ll be at the 40th Juno Awards, also held in Toronto on March 27th. They are definitely a band you want to look out for! Be sure to buy a copy of their album FINO + BLEED, in stores now!

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